Strange Crystal Things

[mmcakes]

Hello Everybody,

About 2 weeks ago SWIM did a STB using a 5 gallon bucket (HDPE) obtained from Home Depot. He used about 400g mimosa, 400g lye, and 6 liters H20 The results were very good, but SWIM felt that the lye/mimosa solution still had potential to yield additional spice so he left it in the bucket with a bit a naptha left in there too. Yesterday he opened the bucket and noticed that on the top of the lye (or maybe the bottom of the solvent). There are these long (1/4 -1/2 inch) rectangular looking things sitting there. Shiny looking too.

SWIM is not sure what to make of these. He has a few hypotheses.

1. The crystals are alkaloids that were draw to the naptha layer, but the naptha was already saturated, so the formed crystals right below the naptha.

2. The lye and/or naptha leached something from the bucket (something nasty) and SWIM should discard of the substance and not bother trying to extract more from that batch. The bucket says HDPE, but it's colored, so who knows how they make that... (although I believe its a painter bucket so it seems like it should at least be designed to handle solvents...)

3. The crystals are some other part of the mimosa that fell (upward) out of solution.


I would try to take pics but all I have is my webcam and it doesn't show a clear picture.

Any ideas. Anyone experience this before?

Thanks a bunch!

 

[Analogue]

SWIM is jealous if those are in fact DMT crystals!

that being said, SWIM has never experiences this before.. but suggests you try to scoop out a crystal and let it dry, as the smell should help identify what it is made up of (but DO NOT bioassay until it is identified/purified, haha)

are you sure they are crystalline?

if there are enough, maybe a re-crystallization will help, as it usually forms the same stucture

keep us updated and goodluck!

 

[mmcakes]

Thanks for the reply. I'm not sure if SWIM should add more naptha and stir it up real well or draw out whats already in there or what. But anyways, I'm not positive they are crystalline, their shape looks like what one might think of when they think of a rock crystal. Sort of cylindrical I guess (hard to say because I've only seen from the top). SWIM will play around with it and try to extract and dry it and update this thread.

Meanwhile, anyone else have thoughts? Anyone use these 5 gallon buckets besides SWIM? Anyone let their mimosa solution sit for a long time with naptha on top and notice anything similar?

Appreciate the feedback

 

[acolon_5]

A milk jug is my container of choice. HDPE won't leak undesirables into your naphtha.

 

[Al Dimentiz]

I would wash the spice, then re-crystallize a couple times before doing any further research, and I always use a half gallon tempered glass jar with a wide mouth... But I read that lye can break thought glass:shock:

 

[mmcakes]

update:

Today SWIM extracted the solvent (very yellow) and dumped the contents of the first bucket into a second bucket. SWIM washed out the bucket and noticed a line where there top of the solution was. The line was sort of raised inwards and had a rough feeling to it when SWIM ran his finger over it. Now I've searched on here for info on "HDPE and Naptha" and people seem to say that naptha in no way dissolves HDPE but I find that this result contradict these reports.

I then searched online and found this: Chemical Compatibility Chart - LDPE, HDPE, PP, Teflon Resistance which indicates that HDPE is NOT suitable for "aromatic hydrocarbons" - which is what I believe naptha (petroleum ether) is. Can somebody PLEASE elaborate on this. SWIM is currently evaporating the naptha and will inspect the color after it's done. But he is hesitant to smoke it after discovering this info.

Thanks

 

[mmcakes]

Nobody has thoughts to share on this? I'm guessing this is why spice smells bad and tastes like burning plastic to SWIM and most people.

 

[thpthial]

hello mate,

I have experienced something very similar.

xtals 1" - 2" long and proper wide/deep. no evap or freeze prep! - FAQ - All your basic questions and answers - Welcome to the DMT-Nexus

I used glass though. i think i have worked out what is happening and will up date my thread with info later today. i also plan on writing an extraction tek using this techinque.

btw in an over 10% NaOH/water solution dmt will float.

water density = 1
dmt density = 1.099
08% NaOH water = 1.0869
10% NaOH water = 1.1089
12% NaOH water = 1.1309

this is where my crysatals came from, and probably yours. bad luck about the container though.
cheers mate.

 

[mmcakes]

Thanks for the reply. I'm not sure that's the same thing that's happening to SWIM though. SWIM ended up dumping that batch, but there's another one that's sitting in another bucket that he will check in about a weeks time. I'm still rather concerned about the HDPE issue though. Seems like everyone uses it though, so I donno...

 

[thpthial]

no worries.

as far as i know though, you cannot crystalise plastics. so it is unlikley to have that in it.

as i said though i am not a chemist.

i hope you get it worked out.

thp.